This newly designed lower level went from being a typical basement used for storage, exercising, and watching tv, into a fun and funky bar lounge with a full bath and home office.
Category: Material Selection
An Unforgettable Entryway.
A Foyer is not only the center of the home but also the place where guests are greeted, shoes are left, book bags are thrown, and four legged friends lounge for hours each day. Therefore, it has to have the same presence and sensibility as the rest of the house and now this one does.
your keys.
First on the agenda, was to shrink the width of the existing coat closet in order to open up the entrance to the kitchen. This move enabled a six foot, cased, arched opening into the kitchen as well as each adjacent room throughout. Larger arched openings created a softer transition between rooms and allowed much needed light to flood the Foyer, like never before.
The Sanderson wallpaper was one of the generators for the design therefore, the best way to compliment it, while also dressing up the entryway, was to add wainscoting. It’s simple panels along with the addition of custom lighting completed the look of this elegant entry and created an easier flow throughout the first floor.
Blue Bliss
Clients often tell me they don’t know what they want but this mother of three knew exactly what she wanted in her new kitchen. A double oven, a large refrigerator, lots of storage, and a big island with seating.
Once the floor plan and cabinet design with Glenbrook Cabinetry were ironed out, we set out to look for the necessities like appliances, hardware, and backsplash. The GE cafe in white with sleek hardware options was a great way to modernize this new kitchen. White quartz countertops and white wall cabinets were offset by a beautiful blue island as well as brass accents throughout.
Now, this kitchen checks all the boxes for this young family. It has tons of storage, lots of cooking and prep space, a plethora of seating and most of all a classic look that will keep it relevant for years to come.
Not your average white….
Construction began on this kitchen in January 2020 and after being placed under strict stay at home orders in PA, this fabulous renovation is finally complete.
Now 
Then
One of the biggest changes to the space was utilizing the extra square footage from the large walk-in pantry. By removing the wall separating the two rooms we not only gained a larger footprint but also another window. The added square footage allowed for a nine foot island with seating and tons of storage.
Now 
Then
Another big update was replacing the terra-cotta tile with hardwood to match the rest of the first floor. Continuous flooring creates an open feel and makes for an easy transition from room to room.
Decorative details like wainscoting on a blank wall, crown molding to match the cabinetry, and beautiful Roman shades in both the prep and dining area really brought this space together.
The light is the most transformative part of this new kitchen. Removing the old pantry wall gave us another double window, allowing a great deal of natural light. Plus, the addition of inner and under cabinet lighting along with decorative lanterns above the island, gave this space the modern update that it needed.
Even though this renovation took a little longer than originally expected, my clients are very happy and have already started entertaining family.
Sitting Pretty
This sitting room was so much fun to decorate because it already had elements like custom wainscoting, eleven foot ceilings, and an open floor plan that helped to add interest and light to the space.
The starters for this design concept were the window panels, oriental carpet, and antique hutch. Incorporating existing pieces into a new design not only offers a direction but also allows me to be more creative and work with what I have.
After
Before
The first thing I did was to update the existing panels by adding a 5” decorative tape on the leading edge of each. The tigers worked perfectly with the Kravet panel fabric and gave the windows that WOW factor. The cornice layout was tricky but we were able to fit four full tigers in by using the return to the wall. This window treatment set the tone for this room and later for the entire first floor.
You’ll never be blue in this Living Room.
This spacious Living Room in a beautiful old stone colonial needed a little freshening up. My client wanted to get rid of the salmon and pink that adorned the room and bring in more blue and green. I felt the best way was to start with the walls and Farrow and Ball’s Cooks Blue, was the perfect color to do it. A gorgeous Stark carpet already lived in the room however, it wasn’t big enough for the main seating area. I pulled the blue from the Stark and selected a wool Karastan to go underneath the matching sofas. Together the two carpets worked seamlessly to bring the seating area into one cohesive unit.
The slipper chairs were reupholstered in a durable Robert Allen fabric and dressed with a beautiful Scalamandre tape along the bottom of their skirts. Throw pillows were added to both sofas and the chairs to bring in a little color.
Lastly, Sconces on dimmers were added along the perimeter of the room to allow for accent lighting when needed. The antique brass against the crisp blue walls was the perfect detail to finish off the room.
Painted and waiting patiently to be upholstered
Final material selection
Armchair before….
Sexy and Sweet Sweet Dining Chairs
These Dining chairs were so much fun to redesign. From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to change the overall look and not just reupholster them. The first step was finding the right material to really make them special. The original armchairs had fabric on their backs and leather on their fronts while the armless chairs were all leather. My client and I looked at mohair, wool/silk blends, velvets, leathers, and finally landed on this amazing paisley fabric. In my opinion, a paisley print can look too sweet if not executed properly, so I had to give it an edge. Thats where the red vinyl tape and nailheads came into the design. The tape also created a seamless transition from back to front on each chair. When upholstery is wrapped around the frame like this there has to be a way to finish it. Cording along the back edge was an option, however, I didn’t think it would hold up as well over time. Ultimately, my client and I both liked the sleek profile that the tape with nail heads added to these beautiful new custom chairs and it gave them the ‘look’ we were trying to accomplish.
Dining Room Delight
This room got a major refresh when my client said “YES” to painting the walls a deep blue. Farrow and Ball’s, Drawing Room Blue, added the right amount of drama to make this young family’s dining room ready for entertaining. Lucite sconces over the buffet and a sleeker chandelier modernized the traditional dining room table and chairs. The Roman shades, as well as the painting done by local artist, Jeannie Wolfington, were the pieces that tied it all together and gave this room a new life. The final touch will be a custom carpet to add a little softness to this beautiful room.
A Master Bedroom to love….
When this client sent me an inspiration picture of a bedroom created by a Designer that I love, I was more than excited to work on her Master. The room already had a lot of great design elements like a Thibaut grass cloth on the ceiling, a four poster bed, a chair upholstered in a blue bird print and a window seat. The room just needed to feel like a bedroom that she LOVED walking into and I think we achieved that.
A Modern Family Room
This modern family room is a great representation of the way we live today. A multi purpose room that is used for watching tv, a children’s playroom, lounging, and entertaining. When clients ask me to assist them in kitchen renovations more often than not they want a design that opens up the kitchen to an adjacent family room and this project was no different. A wall separating the two rooms was removed and replaced with a Carrera marble peninsula creating an easy transition from one room to the next. Since the first phase of this project was the kitchen, the family room fabrics had to coincide. Another consideration was that space is used for entertaining both adults and children so the fabrics had to be sophisticated yet durable. The white sectional sofa allows for optimal seating and is upholstered in a high performance Perennials fabric. For the drapery, a simple lightweight fabric was selected to allow for optimal light. A five inch Schumacher tape was chosen to line the interior edge of each panel along with a beautiful brass rod with lucite finials and rings. The rod added sophistication and glamor to this window decor.
Kitchen Roman Shade
Ann Decker Design 